COUNTRY OF BIRTH

United States

INDUSTRY

Entertainment

TOP ACHIEVEMENTS

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, born March 28, 1986, and known professionally as Lady Gaga, is an American singer-songwriter, performance artist, and actress, renowned for her image reinventions, musical versatility, and strong vocal talent.

EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION

Germanotta was born into an Italian American family in New York City. A classically trained pianist from the age of 4, she attended a private Catholic school. As a teenager, she was already singing at open mic nights in New York City clubs. She went on to study music for two years at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, before dropping out to pursue her career. Her adopted stage name is derived from Queen’s song “Radio Ga Ga.”

EARLY CAREER

In 2005 Germanotta was briefly signed by Def Jam Records, but the contract was canceled just months later. Despite this setback, she determinedly continued performing her own burlesque show in clubs in New York, until she was signed in 2007 by Interscope Records. Her debut 2008 single, Just Dance, was nominated for a Grammy Award, while her debut studio album, The Fame, sold more than eight million copies worldwide by the end of 2009 and won two Grammy Awards. In 2010, Lady Gaga also picked up three Brit Awards (the British equivalent of the Grammys) for International Female Solo Artist, International Album, and International Breakthrough Act.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Lady Gaga's next five studio albums all debuted in first place on the US Billboard 200. She has also earned acclaim for her acting skills, with a Golden Globe for her contribution to American Horror Story (2016) and an Oscar nomination for her co-starring role in A Star Is Born (2018), which grossed $400 million globally. She cowrote most of that movie’s songs, and the lead single, Shallow, won two Grammy Awards and the Oscar for best original song. Lady Gaga's philanthropy and activism focus on mental health awareness and LGBT rights. In 2012, she founded the Born This Way Foundation, a non-profit organization aiming to empower youth, improve mental health, and prevent bullying. Gaga's business ventures include Haus Laboratories, a vegan cosmetics brand that she launched in 2019.

RECOGNITION

Lady Gaga's achievements include 12 Grammy Awards, various Guinness World Records, and awards from the Songwriters Hall of Fame. She is also the first woman ever to win an Academy, Grammy, BAFTA, and Golden Globe Award in one year.

ADDITIONAL FACTS

• Gaga's fans call her "Mother Monster," and she refers to them as "Little Monsters," a phrase which she had tattooed on herself in dedication. Gaga also co-founded the social networking service LittleMonsters.com, devoted to her fans.
• In April 2020, Gaga teamed up with international advocacy group Global Citizen to organize the "One World: Together At Home" virtual concert, which raised more than $127 million to fight the coronavirus pandemic.
• In 2021, Gaga sang the national anthem at the U.S. presidential inauguration of Joe Biden.